ANNUAL REPORT 2020 2 | ANNUAL REPORT 2020
FROM THE DIRECTOR 4
EXCERPT FROM THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS' REPORT 2020 5
STATISTICS 9
PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT 2020 10
BALANCE SHEET 31.12.2020 11
ARCTIC BIOLOGY 12
BIOCEED 19
ARCTIC GEOLOGY 20
ARCTIC GEOPHYSICS 26
ARCTIC TECHNOLOGY 32
ARCTIC SAFETY CENTRE 38
SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS 2020 40
Front page | May 2020: Performing drone fieldwork at Fridtjovbreen. Photo: Christina Hess. Editor | Eva Therese Jenssen. ANNUAL REPORT 2020 | 3
NY-ÅLESUND
LONGYEARBYEN
BARENTSBURG SVEA
HORNSUND
SVALBARD
February 2020: Longyearbyen seen from Gruvefjellet. Photo: Sil Schuuring/UNIS. 4 | ANNUAL REPORT 2020
FROM THE DIRECTOR
With the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, 2020 became challenging year for both staff and students. On 12 March all universities in Norway were closed down. UNIS had at that time 180 regular course students. Our main task became to ensure that all of our students would receive their study credits and maintain the planned study progress. The lectures and seminars went digital. Thanks to our skilled staff that quickly adapted to digital learning despite working from home. The exam success rate of 97% speaks for itself.
Jøran Moen is managing director of UNIS. Photo: Eva Therese Jenssen/UNIS. meaning that the learning outcomes cannot be achieved All courses at UNIS have a mandatory field component, of environmental and societal consequences of rapid decidedwithout tofieldwork. cancel all Due courses to infection for the controlrest of themeasures year. A it warmingUNIS contribute in the Arctic, significantly and through to the bothunderstanding research and healthwas not adviser possible with to guaranteeparticular classesresponsibility in the field, for infection and UNIS control measures was hired to develop routines for all the UN´s sustainable development goals. work tasks at UNIS, enabling us to maintain the research education we contribute to the knowledge needed to fulfil activity and supervision of higher-level individual students In 2020 three projects particularly motivated to serve local and global societal needs were funded: circumstances, we had 299 individual students at UNIS in • A pan-Arctic project to document Arctic coastal 2020,who were but the in the annual final student stages of production their work. was Despite less than these half ecosystems. of a normal year. • adaptation in the Arctic Our pride is in providing high-quality teaching. We • Risk governance, early warning, and climate change are partner in two different centres of excellences in to deal with thawing of permafrost Develop research-based emergency preparedness tools UNIS will provide the knowledge needed to develop new testeducation, and document one in bioscience the effect (bioCEED) of new learning and the methods. other in and sustainable businesses in Longyearbyen, and to Forgeosciences Norwegian (iEarth). students, Research a period on ofeducation study at enableUNIS is us to support safe and sustainable family living in Longyearbyen. easily accessible and, I would say, a convincing alternative We have focus on further developing two knowledge areas to international exchange programmes. We offer an to support business development in Longyearbyen: Arctic international study environment, all teaching is given in safety and Arctic energy solutions. The Arctic Safety Centre English, and we provide a social, safe, and good student environment. Thorough safety training on arrival enables and training for sustainable and safe development of our students to behave safely in extreme conditions, skills businesses(ASC) has a andparticular in general responsibility life in the Arctic. to develop ASC deliversexpertise that are sought-after by future employers. key data to the snow avalanche forecast programme for Longyearbyen, and also develop innovative tools to The climate is changing more rapidly in the high Arctic monitor and forecast natural hazards with a high market than any other places on earth. UNIS has a particularly favourable location for researching a wide range of climate potential, also outside Svalbard. Renewable Arctic energy and environmental indicators in order to document the climate developing new businesses in Longyearbyen. The idea is solutions is another emerging field with potential for effects on ecosystems and food chains, thawing of permafrost, to develop and test renewable energy solutions for cold erosion and landslides, glacier dynamics, natural gas resources climate and extreme weather conditions. The role of UNIS and leakage through the permafrost, how the glacier melts is to provide Arctic expertise and educate candidates to aid impacts sea ice and fjord systems and the regional climate. new businesses in Longyearbyen to develop and to become Svalbard has also a unique location and serve as the world´s competitive in delivering green energy solutions in a global observation site to explore how the solar wind directly impacts market. on the Earth’s atmosphere. Our scientists are developing research excellence with the mainland universities through I would like to thank the students and all the staff at UNIS, strategic research collaborations. We are partner in the and our collaboration partners, who managed to deliver so Research Centre for Arctic Petroleum Exploration, Birkeland Centre of excellence in Space Science, and the Norwegian are through, we are better prepared than ever to focus on much despite all the Covid-19 constraints. When we finally Centre for Carbon Capture & Storage. We have a stable and further develop the skills needed for a better and safer portfolio of major and minor research projects and in 2020 we life on our planet. had 157 articles published in peer reviewed journals.
Jøran Moen Managing director ANNUAL REPORT 2020 | 5
EXCERPT FROM THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS' REPORT 2020
owned limited corporation administered by the Ministry The University Centre in Svalbard AS (UNIS) is a state- provide an educational provision and engage in research of Education and Research. The company’s objective is to Arctic and the special advantages this offers, by using the naturebased on as Svalbard’s a laboratory geographic and arena location for observations in the High and collection and analysis of data. The educational provision shall be at university level and act as a supplement to the tuition offered at the universities on the mainland and form part of an ordinary programme of study leading to
March 2020: UNIS and the Svalbard Science Centre. Photo: Sil Schuuring/UNIS. andexaminations the tuition at shall bachelor’s, be given master’s in English. and There PhD level. shall The be a balanceeducational between provision Norwegian shall have and aninternational international students. profile, Through its activities, the company shall contribute to the Arctic Student Welfare Organisation. community development in Longyearbyen and Svalbard • Temporary regulations were adopted that made it in line with the overarching objectives of Norwegian possible to change the form of assessment and grant Svalbard policy. • An “open line” was set up to UNIS via study@unis. no COVID-19 IMPLICATIONS andexemptions the student from groups compulsory on Facebook activities where (fieldwork). the When UNIS was closed on 12 March, there were 180 students could contact student advisers. students here. The staff needed to work from home and • The Student Counselling Centre in Tromsø has a the Svalbard Science Centre remained largely closed for designated psychologist and counsellor who follows two months. up UNIS students and offer consultations via digital solutions. As the facilities for treating sick people in Longyearbyen • Field work for guest students: A review was are extremely limited, seriously ill patients need to be evacuated. Furthermore, local emergency preparedness possible to implement. The goal was that the students requires that any case of infection leads to quarantine or shouldundertaken not experience of what field delays activity in completing was necessary their and isolation for anyone who has interacted with the infected studies. person. For UNIS, this could quickly lead to the entire institution being shut down because of a single case of In addition to the ordinary course evaluation, UNIS sent a infection. Taking care of a large number of students and separate Covid-19 student survey to all course students in staff in quarantine and/or isolation would be demanding June. The survey contained questions about the transition for the local community, as well as for the UNIS staff. to digital teaching, student life and how UNIS handled the crisis. In general, the transition to digital teaching For UNIS, the main objective was to facilitate that all and examinations received favourable feedback, with students had an opportunity to complete the semester and their courses in the best possible way by using came to feedback about student life and how UNIS had handledsome suggestions the situation, for improvements. the responses wereHowever, mixed. when While it students. They experienced psychosocial challenges relateda digital to solution. uncertainty This aboutwas a thedifficult situation time andfor manythe from UNIS and thought that UNIS had done its best in a possible duration, concerns about their family back home many students were pleased with the financial support and the experience of being isolated, among other things. communicated about and handled the situation. difficult situation, others criticised UNIS for the way we The following are among the measures implemented: • The teaching was changed from physical to digital, and the IT Section worked to put digital systems in requirementAll courses at for UNIS achieving have a compulsorythe learning field outcome. component, With place. Each lecturer has chosen their owns methods respectwhich means to admission that implementing to the summer the fieldand autumn teaching courses, is a for staying in contact with the students. • The students who wished to do so could travel home teaching. Consequently, UNIS decided not to admit new and complete their UNIS courses digitally. UNIS courseit became students clear that for theit was rest not of possiblethe year. toNaturally guarantee enough, field
production target. covered their travel expenses and two months’ rent Covid-19 has had major consequences for the institution’s (the period of notice) for student accommodation at 6 | ANNUAL REPORT 2020
A health worker with responsibility for infection control Of the total allocation registered as income, NOK 3,311,936 was spent on investments in equipment. autumn of 2020, thorough preparations took place to Furthermore, investments in technical-administrative facilitatewas appointed the admission from the ofearly new summer. students During in January the 2021. Infection control procedures for Covid-19 were drawn up were capitalized in the balance sheet. for all types of duties and responsibilities at UNIS. and scientific infrastructure totalling NOK 15,921,799 Income beyond the above-mentioned allocations Taking care of the students and staff who remained at the institution, as well as the small number of guest students related to external project income for research and the admitted in the autumn of 2020, became a high priority comprises NOK 52,852,493, of which NOK 38,110,328 is for UNIS. The risk of infection at UNIS was kept so low other income. that it would be probable that the research activity and remaining NOK 14,742,165 is income from rentals and After capitalization of purchased infrastructure, the supervision of master’s degree students who were in the final stage of their work should be able to be maintained. tiedaccounts up in for equipment 2020 show investments a surplus ofand NOK a digital 22,592,903, boost forof spent time at UNIS in 2020 and the annual production thewhich company. the above-mentioned The fact that the amount wiggle of room NOK was15,921,799 utilised is endedDespite at these 97 student-labour circumstances, years. 299 individual students strategically to catch up on a large backlog of necessary wishes to extend a big thank you to students and all the investments means that UNIS also gained something staff at UNIS, who managed to deliverThe soBoard much of in Directors these positive from a very demanding year. extremely demanding circumstances. See the detailed accounts and balance sheet on pages Covid-19 led to delays in research production for several 10–11. were postponed by a year. Although some projects lost BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ANNUAL GENERAL reasons. Major field campaigns and research cruises MEETING implement most in the summer and autumn. The work situationlocal fieldwork that entailed in the spring working of 2020, from ithome was haspossible been to the board meetings were held via Microsoft Teams owing demanding for many. Limited mobility because of travel toThe the Board Covid-19 of Directors situation. held The four Annual meetings General in 2020. Meeting All was held in Oslo on 22 July 2019. and laboratories at UNIS, in Norway and abroad. restrictions has led to many not having access to the field EDUCATION AND STUDENT STATISTICS In 2020, 299 students spent shorter or longer periods at UNIS, including both course students and guest students. affectedSix PhD candidates group due toreceived strict restrictions a total extension regarding of 9.5 Starting from 2020, the credit production for guest themonths. extension However, of employment postdoctoral contracts. fellows were The nine the worst postdoctoral fellows we had in 2020 lost research reported. Students from 32 countries were represented opportunities that cannot be recovered during their students at bachelor, master’s and PhD level will all be contract period. largest group, followed by students from Germany and theat UNIS Netherlands in 2020. Norwegianin second and citizens third (43%)place, respectively.were the The cancellation of courses mean low student production Although the proportion of Norwegian citizens was 43%, 64% of the students came from programmes of roomand lower shall course be used costs. for the The purpose latter led of theto financial enterprise. wiggle The increase from previous years. The discrepancy between fundsroom. freedAccording up in to2020 UNIS’s because statutes, of the any Covid-19 financial situation wiggle Norwegianstudy at Norwegian citizens anduniversities. students Thisfrom is Norwegian a significant have been used to invest in ICT solutions in preparation universities can be attributed to the fact that foreign for receiving students in a way that is as normal as nationals are admitted to ordinary programmes of study possible in 2021, with the possibility of a hybrid of at Norwegian universities. physical and digital teaching. After the Covid-19 restrictions were introduced in March ECONOMY 2020, UNIS cancelled all the courses that had not started Funds for operation and investments at UNIS are yet. Ongoing courses switched to digital teaching. The appropriated in the budget of the Ministry of Education lecturers made an impressive effort to quickly switch from physical to digital teaching. The guest students Ministry totalled NOK 142,463,000. In addition, UNIS receivedand Research. an allocation In 2020, of the NOK appropriations 1 million from from the the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries earmarked the Arctic orcould increase stay at the UNIS, number and ain financial this group. incentive Owing was to the Safety Centre, as well as a subsidy of NOK 609,230 from cancellationintroduced for of thecourses, guest the master’s number students of students to maintain and the the Norwegian Tax Administration in connection with the challenges related to Covid-19. compared to previous years. Consequently, some of the resultscredit production from 2020 inwill 2020 not werebe comparable significantly with reduced results from previous years. ANNUAL REPORT 2020 | 7
A total of 97 student-labour years were produced at UNIS in 2020, which is less than half the production target for UNIS of 220 student-labour years. Of these, 72 students.student-labour While years naturally were enough linked tothere credits has been(ECTS) a large from declinecompleted in production courses and at 25 course student-labour level, the production years to guest from students accounted for 26% of the total credit production atguest UNIS. students increased significantly. In 2020, guest
The results from the final assessment of the courses was owing to changes in the teaching situation during the March 2020: PhD candidate Robynne Nowicki has a lecture on spring,above average, the grades with were B as changed the average from grade. the grading However, zooplankton for the sixth graders at Longyearbyen school. scale from A-F to pass/fail in some courses. The failure Photo: Eva Therese Jenssen/UNIS. previous years. rate was still low (3%) but was somewhat higher than newmagnetic project field, led with by NTNU partners on risk from management Russia and ofFrance. climate- defences were held. drivenWithin naturalArctic Safety hazards (ASC), (Risk UNIS governance, is heavily early involved warning in the UNIS had 25 PhD candidates in 2020, and five public and climate change adaptation in the Arctic). RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC INITIATIVES – EXTERNAL FUNDING In 2020, UNIS announced calls for proposals for a developing goals and organisational structures to collaboration at the institution to develop knowledge strengthenIn line with research.UNIS’s new Over strategy, the last the two institution years, UNIS is Strategic Pilot Project to stimulate inter-departmental has aimed at larger and more long-term projects in strategically important areas. This means a more pan- for solving specific societal challenges. The Board of Arctic approach to research issues, while at the same Directors allocated a scope ofPermaMeteoCommunity, NOK 6 million and a four- whichyear PhD will position develop funded research-based by the Ministry emergency of Education Longyearbyen. preparednessand Research totools the to project manage thawing of the permafrost, time clarifying UNIS’s corporate social responsibility in which is expected to be one of the major climate The research at UNIS focuses on local and global issues challenges for Longyearbyen. of relevance to climate, environment and sustainability. The temperature increase in Svalbard is stronger than elsewhere. UNIS has a particularly favourable FACE-IT (The future of Arctic coastal location for researching a broad spectrum of climate ecosystemsAt the Department – Identifying of Arctic transitions Biology in (AB), fjord the systems major and and environmental indicators through developments in adjacentEU/H2020 coastal project areas) has commenced. FACE-IT is a pan- ecosystems and food chains in the sea and on the land, Arctic project and AB has a central role in the marine thawing of permafrost, erosion and landslides, movement and cracking of glaciers, natural gas and natural gas iEarth emissions from the ground, the impact of the North (Centresampling for in Integrated Svalbard. EarthFurthermore, System Education) the Department, a Centre of forArctic Excellence Geology in (AG) Education and AGF led have by thebegun University with of
Atlantic Current and glacier melting on fjord systems and windsea ice, affects and how the allupper this parts relates of tothe the atmosphere Earth’s geological that OfBergen, all the which projects, also The has Nansena significant Legacy research is still the component. largest createdevelopment. disturbances Another to fieldnavigation of research and communication is how the solar project at UNIS. AB (within marine biology and data systems, how this can affect the ozone layer and thereby affect transport of energy through the atmosphere, and heavily involved. The Birkeland Centre for Space Science thus also the regional climate. UNIS is also conducting management) and AGF (within oceanography)still are has both research on how to protect ourselves against natural year,(AGF) while, which ARCEx is a Centre (Research of Excellence Centre for (CoE), Arctic Petroleum foundations in permafrost and renewable energy Exploration)significant activity but has now entered its penultimate solutions.hazards such as avalanches, traffic in and on sea ice, The combined at turnoverAG is in its from final the year externally of operation. funded projects in 2020 was approx. NOK 38,100,000.
During 2020, UNIS has received funding for several Finally, we would like to mention two other major projectresearch that projects. will study The magneticDepartment pulsations of Arctic caused Geophysics by initiatives: (AGF) is leading a new Research Council of Norway the interaction between the solar wind and the Earth’s 8 | ANNUAL REPORT 2020
SIOS (Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System), which has been organised as a subsidiary of UNIS to take a proactive approach in our responsibility for through SIOS Svalbard AS since 2017, has as its main safechallenges and careful in the travel entire by HSE our spectrum. students andIt is staffimportant in the task to coordinate and further develop an international Svalbard nature. Quality assurance of the planning and research infrastructure to explore regional effects of climate change. UNIS was one of the initiators of SIOS, a structured manner with strict requirements for work and we are making an active contribution to developing proceduresimplementation and methods.of field-based projects is implemented in SIOS for better coordination of national and international measurement programmes in Svalbard. The main task UNIS has experienced that over recent years there have of SIOS is to integrate Svalbard into a pan-Arctic earth observation system for climate and environment. The total turnover of SIOS Svalbard AS in 2020 was NOK activities.been more Consequently, polar bears in UNIS the area no longer around allow Isfjorden the use and of 31,200,000. tentedLongyearbyen, camps in which areas arenear the the core sea, areas on or for near UNIS’s sea ice, field or in areas where we know from experience that polar bear Arctic Safety Centre (ASC) received an allocation of encounters are common. Moreover, we have extended our NOK 1 million from the Ministry of Trade and Industry compulsory safety training for polar bear safety from a for 2020 to contribute to increased competence about half day to a full day. The main emphasis of this course sustainable and safe activity in the Arctic. This funding now involves making good assessments to avoid close paid the salaries of two staff who worked during the year on concept development for an ASC knowledge centre well as learning methods of operation that will contribute including user development, marketing and recruitment encounters and conflict situations with polar bears, as of business partners, as well as developing practical situations. We register and analyse all observations of safety courses for the business community. andto students close encounters and staff beingwith polarable to bears get out to learn of difficult more, and we continuously adapt our safety training and behaviour STAFF
14 professors, 12 associate professors, two researchers, in the field. As of 31 December 2020, the faculty at UNIS comprised of with adjunct professor/associate professor attachments. UNIS’s internal regulations are based on the formulation Thenine technical postdoctoral and administrativefellows, 15 PhD staffcandidates comprised and 4041.1 staff activityof objectives and the from environment the Svalbard priority Environmental must be given Protection to full-time equivalent work years. The proportion of environmentalAct, which states considerations. that in the event of conflict between the Norwegian citizens in permanent positions at UNIS was UNIS is unaware of its operations causing any direct contamination of the external environment locally. A 53%. new priority area for UNIS is research and education on energy solutions in the Arctic, and UNIS is involved ofWomen the students. accounted Five for of 39% the 11 of themembers faculty of positions, the Board 45% of in local projects focussing on renewable energy and of the technical and administrative positions and 55% based research and education, the staff and students HEALTH,Directors SAFETYwere women. AND ENVIRONMENT acquiremeasures practical to reduce knowledge energy consumption. to manage and Through preserve field- Taking care of students and staff during the pandemic the vulnerable nature and biodiversity. UNIS utilises has been a priority task throughout the year. At the this knowledge in a continuous effort to limit the time of the outbreak, UNIS had an existing pandemic environmental impact of our activities. plan that was quickly updated and formed the basis of how the institution has dealt with the situation. In addition, internal operating procedures and infection at UNIS, students and staff alike, for handling the control routines were developed throughout the year. The Board of Directors would like to thank everyone Consideration to psychosocial conditions has gradually The measures implemented to safeguard the credit become more important and been given greater emphasis productiondifficult Covid-19 of the situationstudents UNISin 2020 took in responsibilitysuch a good way. for in in this work. UNIS is represented on the local emergency 2020 were especially important. preparedness council and, through this collaboration, has coordinated measures with the other, major institutions LONGYEARBYEN, 18 MARCH 2021: registered in Longyearbyen in 2020. in Longyearbyen. No confirmed cases of Covid-19 were Chair of the Board Morten Hald (UiT The Arctic University of Tromsø); Deputy Chair Nina Frisak, Board members Robert Bjerknes (University of Bergen); heldDespite in 2020. having fewer students than in a normal year, 90 Brit Lisa Skjelkvåle (University of Oslo); Øyvind W. field safety courses involving a total of 1,039 people were Christiansen,Gregersen (NTNU); Elise Strømseng Siri Kalvig; and Stein-Ove Nina Kristine S. Johannessen Eriksen (Longyearbyen Community Council); Hanne H. unpredictable effects of climate change, provides special UNIS’s location in the High Arctic, characterised by (staff representatives); Simmen Karoliussen (student representative) and Jøran Idar Moen (Director). ANNUAL REPORT 2020 | 9
STATISTICS
TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS STUDENT NATIONALITY 2018
800 Norway 36% 700 Nordic countries 9% 600 Germany 15% 500 Russia 2%
400 United Kingdom 5%
300 Netherlands 8%
200 France 4% USA 5% 100 Other countries 16% 0 2018 2019 2020 772 743 299
STUDENT NATIONALITY 2019
Norway 32% PRODUCTION IN STUDENT-LABOUR YEARS Nordic countries 11% (1 YEAR = 60 ECTS CREDITS) Germany 16% 250 Russia 3% United Kingdom 4% 200 Netherlands 9% France 4% 150 USA 5% Other countries 16% 100
50
0 2018 2019 2020 STUDENT NATIONALITY 2020 218 213 97 Norway 43%
Course ECTS Guest students ECTS Nordic countries 8%
Note: UNIS registers ECTS by 1) course production and Germany 16% 2) guest students attendance United Kingdom 4% Netherlands 6% France 5% USA 3% Other countries 15% 10 | ANNUAL REPORT 2020
PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT 2020
GROUP* University Centre in Svalbard AS
2020 2019 2020 2019 NOK NOK OPERATING INCOME NOK NOK 142 463 000 136 187 000 Operating grant from the Ministry 142 463 000 136 187 000 14 045 763 18 550 111 Other grants 1 609 230 6 000 000 0 -10 574 657 Appropriation for investments 0 -10 574 657 156 508 763 144 162 454 Operating grant from the Ministry 144 072 230 131 612 343
56 867 197 78 311 064 External project income 38 110 328 42 257 596 11 942 165 14 196 023 Other incomes 14 742 165 16 996 023 225 318 125 236 669 541 Gross operating income 196 924 723 190 865 962
50 452 452 70 791 691 Direct project expenses 31 736 057 34 738 223
174 865 673 165 877 850 Net operating income 165 188 666 156 127 739
OPERATING EXPENSES 78 816 689 79 274 862 Salary and related expenses 73 475 945 73 923 948 1 721 805 10 642 336 Fieldwork and cruise 1 721 805 10 642 336 39 487 003 36 679 589 Buildings 39 487 003 36 679 589 30 695 092 26 584 400 Other operating expenses 26 491 701 22 156 987 1 848 000 1 813 000 Depreciation 1 848 000 1 813 000 152 568 589 154 994 187 Sum operating expenses 143 024 454 145 215 860
22 297 084 10 883 663 OPERATING SURPLUS 22 164 212 10 911 879
FINANCIAL INCOME AND EXPENSES 987 770 1 220 888 Financial income 970 716 1 191 546 707 215 695 831 Financial expenses 542 025 675 532 280 555 525 057 Net financial items 428 691 516 014
22 577 639 11 408 720 Net profit for the year 22 592 903 11 427 894
Information about appropriations to: Transferred from/to other equity 22 592 903 11 427 894 Sum transfers 22 592 903 11 427 894
* The UNIS group consists of the University Centre in Svalbard AS and the subsidiary companies UNIS CO2 lab and Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS). ANNUAL REPORT 2020 | 11
BALANCE SHEET 31.12.2020
GROUP* University Centre in Svalbard AS
2020 2019 2020 2019 NOK NOK FIXED ASSETS NOK NOK Fixed assets (tangible) 27 405 208 29 253 208 Buildings 27 405 208 29 253 208 15 921 799 0 Scientific equipment and infrastructure 15 921 799 0 43 327 007 29 253 208 Sum tangible fixed assets 43 327 007 29 253 208 Fixed assets (financial) 0 0 Investments in subsidiary company 175 000 175 000 0 0 Sum financial fixed assets 175 000 175 000 43 327 007 29 253 208 Sum fixed assets 43 502 007 29 428 208 CURRENT ASSETS 15 414 716 41 949 796 Accounts receivable 4 822 723 4 887 551 12 362 790 12 383 138 Other short-term receivables 11 436 282 12 919 856 78 520 012 44 428 647 Cash and bank deposits 68 354 526 43 418 608 106 297 518 98 761 581 Sum current assets 84 613 531 61 226 015 149 624 526 128 014 790 SUM ASSETS 128 115 538 90 654 223 EQUITY Accumulated equity 100 000 100 000 Share capital 100 000 100 000 1 954 025 1 954 025 Other accumulated equity 1 954 025 1 954 025 2 054 025 2 054 025 Sum accumulated equity 2 054 025 2 054 025 Retained equity 51 001 014 25 023 374 Other equity 51 140 742 25 147 838 51 001 014 25 023 374 Sum retained equity 51 140 742 25 147 838 53 055 039 27 077 399 Sum equity 53 194 767 27 201 863 LIABILITIES Allowances for liabilities 0 3 400 000 Provisions for liabilities 0 3 400 000 0 3 400 000 Sum allowances for liabilities 0 3 400 000 Other long-term liabilities 10 809 796 12 693 277 Housing loan 10 809 796 12 693 277 10 809 796 12 693 277 Sum other long-term liabilities 10 809 796 12 693 277 Short-term liabilities 27 643 679 42 137 581 Accounts payable 18 031 642 15 995 926 2 945 701 2 894 525 Public fees and duties 2 834 543 2 788 749 55 170 311 39 812 008 Other short-term liabilities 43 244 791 28 574 409 85 759 691 84 844 114 Sum short-term liabilities 64 110 976 47 359 084 96 569 487 100 937 391 Sum liabilities 74 920 772 63 452 361 149 624 526 128 014 790 SUM EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 128 115 538 90 654 223
* The UNIS group consists of the University Centre in Svalbard AS and the subsidiary companies UNIS CO2 lab and Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS). 12 | ANNUAL REPORT 2020 ARCTIC BIOLOGY
April 2020: Marine biologists took regular ice core samples throughout the winter. Here is a very happy research assistant Vanessa Pitusi with an ice core sample in Tempelfjorden. Photo: Janne E. Søreide/UNIS. ANNUAL REPORT 2020 | 13
BY STEVE COULSON, HEAD OF DEPARTMENT Arctic Biology (AB) provides a full one-year curriculum of undergraduate studies, as well as a range of master- and PhD level courses in biology. The department conducts research within biological climate effects, seasonality, and dynamics of species and ecosystems in space and time. Our strategy will strengthen our local, national, and international scientific role, founded upon curiosity driven, high scientific competence and year- round presence in Svalbard.
At the end of 2020, the AB department consisted of three two postdocs, two staff engineers and eight adjunct professors, three associate professors, five PhD students, during 2020. professors. Two new PhDs and one post doc were hired EDUCATION The course portfolio during 2020 was severely restricted due to Covid-19 and the cancellation of the autumn
Nonetheless, AB-202 and AB-203 were successfully completedsemester and although many ofwith the adjustments masters and forPhD digital courses. teaching and examinations.
Our aim is to be the primary study site for learning high Arctic biology through authentic experiences. Education at AB is research-based both in knowledge content and how we teach. Knowledge and skills are best mediated through student centred active learning and authentic research settings, and active involvement creates more motivated students and aid deeper learning. Based on this background AB has developed both a bachelor intoresearch research project at AB course and activities(AB-207) atand external a bachelor institutions internship course (AB-208). The courses give insight their education. This provides the students with more practicalthat provide experience job opportunities and generic after skills the that students might finish improve learning outcomes in other courses and prepare them for later careers. The educational development in the AB department is to a large extent linked to the project bioCEED, the Centre for Excellence in Education
Our(see focusseparate on educational chapter). development has also led to more research on education within the department. The goal of the inter-departmental project FieldPass, is to develop and research alternative forms of assessment suitable for field-related learning. FieldPass employed 14 | ANNUAL REPORT 2020
June 2020: Purple Mountain Saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositiofolia). Photo: Sil Schuuring/UNIS. one postdoc and one technician in early 2020 but the for marine biodiversity and the social challenges and restrictions. tourism. The research from the AB team will include first year of fieldwork was delayed due to the Covid-19 benefits; for example, food provision and nature-based RESEARCH similar studies in Greenland and North America. The overall aim of the AB department is to remain a Isfjorden and Storfjorden and will be compared with leading institution in high Arctic biological research The departmental initiative BIG – Bjørndalen Integrated with cutting edge methodology and infrastructure. Gradients, expanded in 2020, including the purchase Our goals embrace advancing fundamental knowledge of a dedicated meteorological station with real time on the ecology and evolution of Arctic species, formed data delivery. BIG is an ecosystem concept that includes by seasonal as well as long-term interactions with the all faculty staff and all habitats along an axis from the biotic and abiotic components characteristic of the Arctic terrestrial site in Bjørndalen outside Longyearbyen, environment, including human impact. Our research covers three over-arching interlinked themes: Climate change biology, Seasonal ecology and Spatio-temporal theto the Nansen nearby Legacy shore projects areas and are the attempts IsA (Isfjorden- at increasing dynamics of species and systems. cross-disciplinaryAdventfjorden) marine collaboration time series within station. and Both outside BIG the and department. In addition, BIG includes both educational The department is partner in numerous projects, and research approaches, including research on didactic including largescale projects that embrace several research aspects and many faculty staff. On the marine side the Nansen Legacy project was one of the Examplestopics such of as ongoing field education. BIG activities include collection of invertebrates at weekly basis and automated monitoring already led to several new external positions at AB. of plant phenology and plant-pollinator interactions departments’ major activities in 2020. The project has with time-lapse cameras. This data collection is part of a The large EU project FACE-IT: The future of Arctic coastal larger circumpolar network aiming at using state-of-the- ecosystems - Identifying transitions in fjord systems and art machine learning and computer vision methods to adjacent coastal areas, started in November 2020. The study the role of climate in plant-pollinator interaction. Also, initiated through FACE-IT, the monitoring of arrival Bremen, includes 11 European partners in addition and breeding phenology of Common Eider (Somateria tofour-year partners Horizon in the U.S.,2020-project, Canada, and led China. by University The total of mollissima) have been added to the BIG monitoring research budget is approximately 90-100 mill. NOK, and the project will focus on the effects of climate changes and is now in its sixth year. Interestingly, the arrival program. The monitoring of eiders was started in 2015 in polar fjord systems, including the consequences of eiders in Adventfjorden apparently is influenced by ANNUAL REPORT 2020 | 15
February 2020: Svalbard reindeer on the tundra. Photo: Sil Schuuring/UNIS. the large-scale climate system, the Arctic Oscillation. Development of In contrast, breeding initiating are determined by local methods for monitoring effect of vegetation on active layer snow conditions. depthThe FRAM which centre concentrates funded theon investigatingproject the effect of a reduced moss layer under a warming climate using open speciation, particularly in the Arctic. Using Saxifraga oppositifoliaPolyploidy is an important driver for evolution and Intop 2019, chambers AB initiated and artificially a seasonal reducing reindeer moss project cover. in species, the aim is to understand the evolutionary Bjørndalen as part of BIG. We know very little of how consequences (Purple of autopolyploidy Mountain Saxifrage) by combining as model ecological-, the Svalbard reindeer seasonally use the landscape. The reindeer in Bjørndalen are counted on foot every week as well as being recorded by an automated network of thisphysiological system. and genomic data. One PhD and two time-lapse cameras. The time-lapse cameras also record master’s students are currently working on aspects of snowmelt and reappearance of the vegetation. In 2020, the Bjørndalen population increased from 21 animals consequence of climate change. Vegetation, and especially in March to 101 in July. The spatial use of reindeer in mosses,Permafrost which in Arctic play an regions important is under role severein insulating threat as a Bjørndalen is initially determined through snow by avoiding areas with deep snow and ice layers. As spring warming from moss types to vascular plant-dominated and summer comes, emergent new high-quality forage vegetationsoils, is expected forms. to Measurements significantly changeof the active with climatelayer depth and accompanying abiotic parameters at the long- Surprisingly, the analyses of time-lapse photos suggested term monitoring sites in BIG and in Adventdalen were thatinfluences the number the reindeer’s and spatial habitat distribution choice in of Bjørndalen. geese may be continued. New sites were established ranging from indexed from these photos. moss-and Dryas octopetala-dominated tundra to polygons in Adventdalen. Moreover, spatial grids with contrasting vegetation composition were investigated as part of an marine time series station is the marine endpoint of the BIGThe gradient.IsA (Isfjorden-Adventfjorden) The station was established high-resolution in 2011 and trait composition, and their links to active layer depth. aims to determine temporal drivers of microbial and FrostPhD study tubes investigating were installed vegetation, to measure its active corresponding layer depth, zooplankton communities and to monitor and predict linking to the GLOBE program by NASA (https://www.nasa. climate induced ecosystem changes. Time-series stations, gov/solve/feature/globe such as IsA, are essential to untangle natural year to including scientists, students and citizens and promoting year variation and long-term climate related alterations. science. ), a worldwide outreach program composition of microbial eukaryotes and larger plankton Data on hydrography as well as diversity and community July 2020: Field16 assistant| ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Rebekka Ween hunts pollinating insects with a sweep net in Bjørndalen. Photo: Simen Hjelle. ANNUAL REPORT 2020 | 17
September 2020: The UNIS marine biology team on sampling in Inglefieldbukta in Storfjorden. From left: PhD candidate Sil Schuuring, research assistant Vanessa Pitusi, PhD candidate Cheshtaa Chitkara, master student Daniela Walch and associate professor Janne E. Søreide. Photo: Helge Bjørnholm/The Norwegian Coast Guard. is collected monthly. Analyses of biological data from multiple years show both recurring seasonal patterns of biodiversity and species composition, as well as large nivastations and spreadfunded along by the Isfjorden Norwegian was Environment continued in Agency.2020, as part of the Økokyst-Svalbard project, led by Akvaplan- water. In 2020, the IsA time series was expanded to also where the applicability of the Water Management includeinterannual marine variation bacterial linked communities, to inflow of and “warm” the seasonal Atlantic Økokyst-Svalbard, is a three-year project (2018-2020) differences in the gene activities of microbial eukaryotes were investigated using metatranscriptomics. Cross- coastalRegulations, waters. which incorporate the EU Water Framework disciplinary collaboration at the IsA time series station Directive into Norwegian law, is tested for Svalbard Arctic coastal ecosystems are changing as climate hydrography, and the UNIS hydrographic database (UNIS changes and human activities increase. Thus, government also contributed to an extensive review of the Isfjorden managers, industries, conservation organizations and placed outside Bjørndalen by the department of Arctic communities need timely biodiversity and ecosystem GeophysicsHD). In 2020, and an ABonline took “weather the opportunity station into sea” also was place status data and, if possible, plausible projections of status of biodiversity and ecosystem services over the next physical measurements (salinity, temperature, wave and decades. The AB focus on coastal ecosystems has led some biological (fluorescence) sensors in addition to the to several new projects which UNIS leads or is a major partner in. Astidal part height of FACE-IT, and currents) monthly time-series sampling was
in 2020, despite of a delayed start due to travel andalso thuscommenced can be regarded in Billefjorden as a model (station system BAB). for While a future IsA bans.Riverine From impacts June to on September, coastal waters monthly were high also spatial studied is very much influenced by influx of warm Atlantic water, resolution sampling of hydrography, turbidity, and algae and is normally ice-covered during winter and spring. AB will“Atlantified” exploit this Arctic, natural Billefjorden gradient has to investigate a sill limiting possible inflow Freshfate: differences in biodiversity and seasonal development Freshwaterbiomass was inputs conducted to Svalbard’s in Adventfjorden coastal waters: as part Fluxes, of the between two contrasting Arctic “sea climate” scenarios. fate,ACCES and project implications (see below) for coastal and the ecosystems project . This study was further strengthened by SIOS and their ACCESS- comprising of hydrography and plankton data from three The Isfjorden Marine Svalbard Observatory (IMOS), call funding which supported flight hours to provide 18 | ANNUAL REPORT 2020
in November. Field surveys were very restricted in 2020, but we managed within the project to do some nice sea ahyperspectral calibration/validation images from site Adventfjorden for satellite imagery which andequals ice biology studies in April. This was in conjunction with theSentinel goal is2 satelliteto improve products. ocean colour Adventfjorden algorithms has to become also be the Fram Centre funded project FADE: Ice-Free Arctic applicable for the highly dynamic coastal waters. Ocean: Dead end or new opportunities for biodiversity and habitat expansion, also led by AB. In September, UNIS was The multi-international project ACCES - De-icing of granted a seven days cruise with the coast guard ship Arctic Coasts: Critical or new opportunities for marine biodiversity and ecosystem services (Biodiversa and area was repeated after 30 years in addition to a cal/ “Barentshav” where a coastal survey in the Storfjorden the Covid-19 pandemic. In February the annual project meetingBelmont wasforum), held led in byLongyearbyen UNIS, had a busyin conjunction year despite with a September,val satellite ABsurvey also injoined Agardh-Inglefieldbukta the physical oceanographers with the larger international workshop on “Sustainable Svalbard onDornier a three flying week-long over taking Nansen hyperspectral Legacy cruise images. to the BarentsIn Coasts”. This workshop resulted in a publication on the Sea mainly for zooplankton sampling. The other two environmental status of Svalbard coastal waters. It also Nansen Legacy biology cruises planned in 2020 were resulted in a large coastal observatory component in the postponed to 2021. large national infrastructure proposal submitted by SIOS
GRADUATES 2020
PHD DEGREES:
MATTEO PETIT BON MAGDALENA WUTKOWSKA Short-term tundra plant-community nutrient responses Microbial eukaryotes and their functional importance in to herbivory and warming: New insights from Near the Arctic. A Svalbardian perspective. (UNIS and UiT - The (UNIS Arctic University of Norway). and UiT - The Arctic University of Norway). infrared-reflectance spectroscopy methodology.
MASTER DEGREE:
TRINE CÆCILIE BRÆSTRUP ANDERSEN ASTRID POLESZYNSKI HOEL
Environment, Sustainability and Mass Tourism amongst (NTNU and GuidesLiving withon Svalbard. a Paradox: (University Negotiating of Copenhagen Relations to and the UNIS) . UNIS).A year in the Arctic; Seasonal Dynamic of the Marine Prokaryote Community in Isfjorden, Svalbard. LUCIE HELENE MARIE GORAGUER FRIGG SPEELMAN Sympagic-pelagic coupling and vertical export in two Nest defence behaviour in breeding pairs is highly similar (UiT - The Arctic University but only male behaviour determines nest survival. of Norway and UNIS). (University of Groningen and UNIS). seasonally ice-covered fjords. JØRGEN HAUGVALDSTAD EMILIE HERNES VEREIDE Seasonal zooplankton community patterns along course and their assessment. (University of Bergen and UNIS).Perspectives on intended learning outcomes in the field (University of Oslo and UNIS). a gradient from land to sea in Isfjorden, Svalbard. KJERSTIN BAKKEN HILMARSEN ROBIN B. ZWEIGEL Body mass growth in nestlings of Svalbard snow buntings A physically based approach to simulate sub-grid snow (Plectrophenax nivalis) in response to seasonal variation depth and ground surface temperature distribution. in arthropod biomass. (NTNU and UNIS). (University of Oslo and UNIS). ANNUAL REPORT 2020 | 19 bioCEED BY TINA DAHL, BIOCEED ADVISER bioCEED has continued to develop biology education to fill future needs in science and society, and to facilitate SoTL across higher education in Norway and beyond. Our activities are guided by our four focus areas: Learning culture, innovative teaching, practical training, and outreach.
The years of developing a learning culture, along with numerous digital tools, better positioned us to survive —and in many cases, thrive—when the pandemic hit, March 2020: Hiking up Lindholmhøgda. Photo: Stina Skånhoff. and education went largely digital from March 2020 onwards. Among our major accomplishments we note the following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the following: staff and the health advisor at UNIS to develop a safe We published nine papers in peer-reviewed, international alternativestudent representatives to the former worked format. closely Three meetingswith bioCEED have redesign that will impact students across biology and have been an important contributor to students journals; we were involved in course and program networkingbeen arranged opportunities with 25-30 duringparticipants pandemic in each times meeting with tools and developed usage of these tools to support few possibilities for student-student interactions. programs; we assessed and improved several digital tocourses; relevant we stakeholders. supported novel educational initiatives; Arctic Biology” at UNIS is now a well-established course, sponsored seminar series; and communicated our work The 15 ECTS bachelor course AB-208 “Internship in Enhanced collaboration with iEarth, our new SFU at UNIS workplaces in Longyearbyen during spring semester where we have coordinated activities and cooperate 2020.and five In newmonthly students seminars, were thedoing students internships met and at different shared when possible (e.g. seminars/courses, student activities experiences and discussed what they had learned. Seminars were also used to train work-related skills, like applying for jobs and doing job-interviews through and projects like FieldPass). e.g. role plays. Students shared their experiences to the public through videoblogs or written blogs. AB-208 is BioCEED was bolstered by new initiatives. For example, anda teaching master assistant students (TA) across course departments was developed that teach within inbioCEED courses. and Also, iEarth an academic to support writing PhD students, workshop postdocs for usually combined with a 15 ECTS course focused on timeresearch practical practice semester. (AB-207 “Research Project in Arctic Biology”), so students have the possibility to have a full- mainlandPhD students and wasattending offered workshops/courses in 2020 to provide werescientific no longertraining feasible. for PhD At students UNIS one when postdoc travelling and one to thetechnician have been hired withing the FieldPass project. teachers were established to support teachers with their digitalDue to Covid-19,teaching through different a collegialdedicated meeting MS Team places channel for as well as through online meetings. A UNIS web resource page on digital educational resources was developed to ABOUT BIOCEED help teachers to set up a functional, temporary online learning environment for their courses. Education, led by the University of Bergen in collaborationbioCEED is a Centre with UNIS, for Excellence the Institute in Biology of Marine student-led initiative, facilitating the exchange of knowledge“unisBREAKFAST” and experience (former among“bioBREAKFAST”) students across is a all MoreResearch on https://bioceed.w.uib.no/ and other partners. departments at UNIS. Challenged by the restrictions 20 | ANNUAL REPORT 2020 ARCTIC GEOLOGY
February 2020: The students in AG-325/825 on excursion to Drønbreen. Photo: Andy Hodson/UNIS. ANNUAL REPORT 2020 | 21
BY HANNE H. CHRISTIANSEN, HEAD OF DEPARTMENT The Arctic Geology (AG) department’s research and education is focused on the geological evolution of Svalbard as recorded in spectacular geological sequences spanning from the Precambrian to the Cenozoic and overlain by Quaternary glacial and interglacial deposits. Easily accessible outcrops make it possible to do research in the interplay of continental drift with tectonic, glacial, periglacial, coastal, fluvial and marine sedimentary processes.
The close proximity of present-day geological, glacial, periglacial, marine, and terrestrial processes provides an
education within three main areas: Arctic Basins, Marine andexciting Quaternary field laboratory geology, asand the the basis Cryosphere. for our research and
associateDuring 2020 professors the department and one hadvacant nine position. full time One faculty new positions, which were filled by four professors, four the beginning of the year. The end of 2020 also marked thePhD end student of an and era threeas long-term new postdocs Arctic Basinsjoined themember AG in Snorre Olaussen retired and left the island. Thankfully,
Emeritus! he continues actively as ever as UNIS’ first Professor EDUCATION
department in spring 2020, due to the cancellation of all Due to Covid-19 only four courses were taught in our the majority of the Arctic Basins team ensured that thecourses courses from running April to at December. the time of From the lockdown March onwards, were completed through means of digital teaching. It was not easy but through a real team effort it was possible. The use of digital outcrops, openly shared through the Svalbox portal developed at UNIS, contributed greatly.
The AG department was responsible for 28 % of all student production at UNIS in 2020, despite that we only were able to actually produce around 30 % of the course student production.
A record number of guest students in 2020 was on account of scholarships offered by UNIS. We successfully
thesis research-based projects by these guest students. increased the total number of bachelor-, master and PhD A Digital Learning Environment for field-based geoscience teaching led by Maria Jensen The DIKU funded project February 2020: The students in AG-325/825 on excursion to Drønbreen. Photo: Andy Hodson/UNIS. 22 | ANNUAL REPORT 2020
June 2020: The pingo in Moskuslaguna across the fjord from Longyearbyen. Photo: Eleanor Jones/UNIS.
is exploring the use of digital platforms in geology education and focus on integrating classroom and Svalbox database, an online portal integrating existing Peter Betlem and Kim Senger continue to build up the in-classroom Smartboard. As physical teaching was collected by UNIS. A new UArctic-funded project cancelledfield teaching for most in a seamless of 2020, this way project using Ipads got a andone-year an geoscientific material with new virtual outcrop models extension to allow for working with the digital tools in project will run until August 2022 and constitute a practice through spring 2021. major(Svalbox2020) upgrade wasto the awarded Svalbox in portal September allowing 2020 additional – the data sets and storylines. You can already check-out In June 2020 the Centre for Integrated Earth System education www.svalbox.no. excellence in education, with the UNIS AG and AGF 360-degree imagery and virtual field trips at departments (iEarth) as one was of fourstarted. national This partnersis a centre in of the a base – exceeded all expectations. Covid-19 adaptions The summer field campaign – using a local sailboat as 5-year project. project FieldPass led by the AB department, to further apart, PhD students and postdocs alike managed to We are involved in the DIKU funded multi-departmental focussedacquire critical on acquiring data in more the field, digital from models Hornsund for Svalbox in the on hold in 2020 due to Covid-19. andsouth marketed to the Billefjorden this portal Trough to both in industry the north. and We partner also develop the field education at UNIS. The project was put universities. The highlight of the Svalbox-data acquisition RESEARCH The department has three specialised research groups, in September – we can now access 300 million years presented below with their different main activities. was the digitization of the renowned Festningen profile We also collaborate with other UNIS departments and anywhere. This was done as an iEarth-funded internal partners nationally and internationally. project.of Svalbard’s geological evolution digitally – anytime,
Arctic Basins Maria Jensen was on sabbatical during 2020 and spent The Arctic Basins group had – as virtually everyone else time developing international collaboration to develop methods to retrieve high-resolution palaeoclimate disrupted by Covid-19. The year 2020 started positively proxies from coal seams on Svalbard. Covid-19 also put in the world – many of its field campaigns and courses constraints on this work as planned laboratory visits, extensional growth basins in late February. talks and a visit to the US were cancelled, but contacts – with Aleksandra Smyrak-Sikora’s PhD defense on Two new members joined the group before the pandemic the US. hit – Gareth Lord started as a postdoc in the Research were developed with partners in Denmark, Canada, and Centre for Arctic Petroleum Exploration compiling data from large number of coal exploration (ARCEx) project Malte Jochmann was working on his PhD project on shallow reservoirs, while Anders Dahlin started as a formation at the base of the Central Tertiary Basin. postdoc,PhD candidate contributing in the Suprabasins to the synthesis project. efforts In addition, of the boreholes and outcrop fieldwork in the Firkanten centre,Aleksandra in particular continued with at UNIS respect as an to ARCExCarboniferous funded basin understanding of the basin development. development on the Barents Shelf. This work is providing a new high-resolution 3D ANNUAL REPORT 2020 | 23
The DynaCoast project, coordinated by Maria Jensen, was arecompleted made available and for the through first time the Svalcoast a detailed Science morphological HUB platformmap of the (https://svalcoast.com/ coastal zone in Isfjorden is presented. Data serve as a gateway to data from the MovingCoast project, where we work on ). The platform will analysis of coastal movements in the Svalbard area on a centimetre scale.establishing Fieldwork methods for the MovingCoast for InSAR collaborators from University of Caen, France were not ableproject to travelwas carried to Svalbard out in due the toIsfjorden the travel area, restrictions. although
May 2020: Hyperittfossen in De Geerdalen. Marine and Quaternary geology Photo: Peter Betlem/Svalbox.no. evolution and processes of the eastern and northern SvalbardRiko Noormets’ margins. research New results focussed were on published the geological on the role Adjunct professor Martin Jakobsson led the work on of oceanographic processes during the deglaciation of the release of a new bathymetric compilation of the Arctic Barents Sea, in collaboration with international partners. Ocean (International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic
easternResearch Svalbard. on glacial A andgrant climate from the history ASIAQ in projectpreviously enabled (Ocean),www.seabed2030.org IBCAO v4. This is an important milestone in developmentunmapped fjords of a prototypecontinued Multi-purposein the western Autonomousas well as globallyachieving by the 2030. ambitious goals of SEABED 2030 ) of fully mapping the ocean floor
Surface Platform for polar marine research (MASP) that started or continued their thesis work at UNIS on uses machine learning algorithms for acoustic seafloor variousDuring the aspects year, ofseveral Arctic external marine, PhDglacial, and climate MSc students and mapping in collaboration with colleagues from the KTH environmental evolution and processes. All these Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University. students are supervised by AG staff. Trials are planned in Svalbard for the first time in 2021. geomorphic and geochronological signal of regional The cryosphere deglaciationDuring 2020, and Mark sea-level Furze’s changes research in focused western on Svalbard. the Members of the Cryosphere research group were involved This included leading a successful internationally Blue Ice Oases of Microbial Life on the Antarctic Ice Sheetin two new projects and Climatic funded byforcing the RCN of terrestrial and led by methane Andy emergencecollaborative and field imaging campaign raised on beaches the Erdmannflya using terrestrial gasHodson: escape through permafrost in Svalbard laserpeninsula scanning constraining and UAV ratesphotogrammetry of Holocene coastlinewith colleagues In the(BIOICE) BIOICE project, the year began with the 260 km from the Geological Survey of Norway and Bangor transport of six short ice cores, water samples(CLIMAGAS). and snow from the Norwegian Troll Station in Antarctica, across numerous crevasses to the margins of the Fimbul Ice University (UK). Shelf, before shipment to the UK. These samples, collected 24 | ANNUAL REPORT 2020
September 2020: Kapp Schoultz, Tempelfjorden. Photo: Svalbox.no.
the laboratories before they were closed for the rest of effects upon freshwater discharge from across the island. theby Aga year Nowak by the and Covid-19 Andy pandemic.Hodson, only Back just in made Svalbard, it to ItSvalbard, was discovered presenting that for catchments the first-time with climate rapidly change receding the CLIMAGAS team were mapping and sampling all glaciers have been producing decreasing amounts perennial groundwater springs in Nordenskiöld Land, of freshwater for over a decade, while deglaciated catchments and those with large polythermal glaciers discharges even during the winter. The CLIMAGAS team show the opposite behaviour. Aga Nowak coordinated laterfinding published more than two 100 companion sites where papers gas-rich in The water Cryosphere describing the hydrogeological and geochemical partners. processes that make pingos in Adventdalen particularly this work with Norwegian, Polish, Russian, UK and Czech important sites for methane emission. Developing a permafrost and meteorological climate change response The cryosphere group is also active in the Svalbard systemThe first to UNIS build Strategicresilience Pilot in Arctic Project communities Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System Infrastructure development of the Norwegian node, (SIOS) - (PermaMeteoCommunity) was funded in December. It is coordinated by Hanne H. Christiansen, and with putInfraNOR, on hold funded due to byCovid-19. the RCN and led by Hanne H. Longyearbyenparticipation from Community Aleksey Council,Shestov Telenor(AT), Marius Svalbard, Jonassen and Christiansen. This project had all its 2020 field activities (AGF) and adjunct Graham Gilbert (AG) in addition to UNIS led the project Permafrost core data with ground among the partners. ice information and overview of drilling equipment in the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate Svalbard regional analyses of the permafrost ECV (essential permafrost ground thermal data and active layer (PermaSval), funded by SIOS, updating the observationsPhD student Sarah from theStrand UNIS worked monitoring on collecting infrastructure. about ground ice content and available permafrost drillingclimate variables)equipment observations, in Svalbard into and the adding third information SESS characterize the broad-scale atmospheric circulation patternsPhD student leading Holt toHancock regional worked avalanche on research cycles in to Nordenskiöld Land. Norwegianreport contribution. partners. Hanne H. Christiansen coordinated this work with Italian, Russian, Polish, German and Another project funded by SIOS and led by UNIS is the project in collaboration with the Arctic Safety Centre SvalHydro andThe Telenordepartment Svalbard also workedto integrate on the data DRIVA from snow the low- sensor term hydrological and hydrometeorological data from cost snow depth sensors developed in this project into project, which compiled 50 years of long- ANNUAL REPORT 2020 | 25
avalanche forecasting and risk management efforts both in Longyearbyen and on the Norwegian mainland. 2022.Canada. Due to Covid-19 the International Conference on The Cryosphere staff also supervised several external Permafrost, to be held in China in June, was postponed to topics including erosion studies, the Foxfonna ice cap, Thematic Network on Arctic Geology, a platform for thermalPhD students changes and in guest winter master snow students accumulation, on a range and of circum-ArcticKim Senger is leadingcollaboration the University on outreach, of Arctic education, (uArctic) and geochemistry of winter glacier drainage, to name a few research efforts. topics. The accomplishments of these visiting students were outstanding, given the logistical constraints imposed by the pandemic. group under the Ny-Ålesund Science Managers Maria Jensen participates in the Kongsfjorden flagship RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION between terrestrial and marine biologists, geophysicists andCommittee onshore (NySMAC), geoscientists and studying is involved land-sea in collaboration transects in
UNIS has had the presidency (Hanne H. Christensen) sediment dynamics on ecosystems. 1and July secretariat 2020 this (Sarahfunction Strand) was formally of the International handed over to Kongsfjorden and the influence of long- and short-term Permafrost Association (IPA) over several years, but on
GRADUATES 2020
PHD DEGREES:
ALEKSANDRA SMYRAK-SIKORA study, Svalbard, Norway. (UNIS and the University of Bergen).Development of extensional growth basins: A field-based
MASTER DEGREE:
ARMIN DACHAUER KAROLINE HELEN LØVLIE Structural deformation and mineralogy of the Glaciers from UAV Mapping. (Swiss Federal Institute of TechnologyAerodynamic Zurich Roughness and UNIS). Length of Crevassed Tidewater Spitsbergen, Svalbard. (University of Oslo and UNIS). Agardhfjellet and Rurikfjellet formations in central JODIE ALICE SCRUPPS GELDARD JASPER LEONARD MAGERL The production of a Quaternary Geological map subglacial discharge and pockmark seepage. (University geomorphic processes. (University of Sheffield and UNIS). ofEvidence Oxford andof methane UNIS). release into Arctic fjords through of Endalen, Svalbard, and assessment of Holocene ERIK SCHYTT HOLMLUND LISE NAKKEN all over Svalbard. (UiT – The Arctic University of Norway in Central Spitsbergen: Implications for caprock integrity. andRapid UNIS). temperature rise may have triggered glacier surges (UniversityStructural evolutionof Oslo and of UNIS). the lower Agardhfjellet Formation,
JULIAN JANOCHA CHRISTIAN FRIGAARD RASMUSSEN Structural and depositional evolution of the Fortet
Spitsbergen, Svalbard. (University of Potsdam and UNIS). SvalbardHigh Resolution based on Holocene OSL dating Climate of loess. and (AarhusPaleo University, karst collapse outcrop in inner Billefjorden, Central Technicalenvironmental University Reconstructions of Denmark, andfrom UNIS) Adventdalen,. JACOB BERG LOFTHUS Snow avalanches on Svalbard - Investigating changes INGER MARIE FAUSA AASBERG in despositional patterns and their palaeocliamtic sediments, Bødalsvatnet, Nordenskiöld Land, Svalbard. (NorwegianPaleoclimatic University reconstruction of Life Sciences from laminated and UNIS). lake significance. (NTNU and UNIS). 26 | ANNUAL REPORT 2020 ARCTIC GEOPHYSICS
June 2020: Master student Lukas Frank with the weather mast in Moskuslaguna in Adventfjorden. Photo: Marius Jonassen/UNIS. ANNUAL REPORT 2020 | 27
BY DAG A. LORENTZEN, HEAD OF DEPARTMENT The Arctic Geophysics departments’ two research groups conduct research and education in the column from sub- sea to near space.
The department had at the end of 2020 eight full time space physics. The department also had three postdocs, faculty in the fields of oceanography, meteorology, and engineers are working in the department. 11 adjuncts and four PhD candidates. In addition, two EDUCATION the department. For the spring semester 2020, three bachelorCourses are courses offered were in allgiven the asresearch well as fieldsthree withinmaster/ in March 2020, all the spring courses were able to continue,PhD courses. with Although lecturing the occurring Covid-19 through pandemic Zoom started and Teams. Thus, despite Covid-19, the students all managed summer and autumn courses at UNIS were cancelled, reducingto finish their drastically courses the and overall degrees ECTS successfully. production All in the department. AGF has several courses running biennially, hence the comparable year to 2020 would be 2018. Thus, compared to 2018, the department saw a reduction in the ECTS production of 63% throughout 2020. On a positive note, the guest master student-year production went up compared to previous years.
RESEARCH Space physics The space physics group is part of the Birkeland Centre for Space Science – a centre of excellence in space physics which is based at the University of Bergen. The space physics group operates two large scale research thefacilities, outbreak the ofKjell Covid-19. Henriksen No rocket Observatory campaigns (KHO) carried and the outSuperDARN and no visits radar. from The our activity instrumental at KHO has partners. been low On after the other hand, the situation has given us more time to focus on upgrades, instrumental work, and new camera constellations. The observatory has been fully operative continued,since the start after of it the broke optical down season due to in heavy November. ice and Plans wind loadsfor the in rebuild autumn of 2018. the SuperDARN All new parts radar except antenna guy ropesarrays are now in place in Svalbard, and this project is moving along as planned.
The ionosphere/magnetosphere team of the space physics group received funding for a new project from the RCN through the INTPART project. This will be a tofollow-up focus on from modulations the completed in ionospheric RCN PolarProg parameters project (which was completed in 2019). The project will continue caused by various coupling mechanisms, such as that (such as temperatures, densities and auroral brightness) 28 | ANNUAL REPORT 2020
June 2020: Fixing a radar antenna at the Polish Polar Station in Hornsund. Photo: Mikko Syrjäsuo/UNIS.
the Breinosa mountain. The instrument will provide continuous measurements of ionospheric electron awhich variety occurs of instruments between the across Earth’s Svalbard and Sun’s (including magnetic density up to 300 km altitude. The instrument is field (the interplanetary magnetic field). Data from expected to be deployed permanently in 2021 with the data freely available online. the KHO) will be used, along with supporting satellite anddatasets. France. A short, 5 ECTS masters/PhD course will also A chapter in the 2020 SIOS State of Environmental be developed. Collaborating institutions are in Russia Science on Svalbard report was dedicated to space physis (Polar Research Ionospheric Doppler in Svalbard (https://sios-svalbard.org/SESS_Issue3 Experiment) was started in August 2020. A low power chapter provides an overview of Norwegian owned The PRIDE instruments (or instruments which Norwegian scientists). The
(20W), single frequency HF transmitter, was deployed at the Polish Polar Station in Hornsund. It will transmit have access to) in Svalbard with a focus on the Svalbard a signal into the ionosphere, where it is reflected at an TheSuperDARN middle atmosphere radar. team of the space physics group ionosphericaltitude of ~200km, processes before and willbeing serve received as a diagnostic at KHO. The tool focuses on detection and characterisation of particle forreflection wave processes altitude will in the change atmosphere depending and on ionosphere. various precipitation, and studies of the effects of high-energy
Science and is still undergoing a testing phase. The data the focus was on pulsating aurora, which is a type of willThe projectbe freely is availablein collaboration online. with the Polish Academy of diffuseparticle aurora precipitation known onbe theassociated Earth’s withatmosphere. high-energy In 2020, electron precipitation. A fresh review paper on this topic Master student Markus Floer designed and built a new was conducted as an international effort. At UNIS the ionosonde HF system which was test deployed up on first statistical electron energy spectra were constructed ANNUAL REPORT 2020 | 29
and used as input in ionospheric chemistry model. The model reproduces the ionization of the atmosphere for a given input and follows its chemical consequences in the atmosphere. For energetic particle precipitation these are typically production of odd hydrogen and odd nitrogen gases, which may lead to catalytic ozone depletions in the stratosphere and mesosphere. Our results showed that the median spectrum corresponds to earlier reports on mesospheric ozone depletion during pulsating aurora, while the upper envelope spectrum related depletion is stronger, and the lower envelope spectrum causes no chemical changes. A follow-up study demonstrated that the morphology and the temporal evolution of the pulsating aurora can be used as an indicator of the observations are described by the current climate models remainschemical to impact be investigated in the mesosphere. in the future. How well the new
Air-Cryosphere-Sea Interaction (ACSI) The meteorology team of the ACSI group leads a work
Risk governance of climate-related systemic risk in the Arcticpackage on the newly funded four-year RCN project
(ARCT-RISK). The primary objective of ARCT- abilityRISK is to to protect develop the knowledge life and health and tools of its to citizens make sense and toof andmaintain deal with critical effects infrastructure of climate change and function. on society’s The understanding and mitigating the challenge of climate adaptation,project’s starting as the point climate is the already key role is changing the Arctic more plays in rapidly in these regions than anywhere else in the world. October 2020: The oceanographic mooring was deployed in This means that successful risk governance strategies Isfjorden. Photo: Algot Pettersen. developed in response to destabilized climate conditions in Arctic locations serve as important guidance for and Svalbard is a hotspot of warming, especially in the future climate change adaptation in mainland Norway and other relevant parts of the world. The project has Thewinters, oceanography she concludes team in of her the PhD ACSI thesis. group is deeply one postdoc position, all of which will have UNIS and the involved in the Nansen Legacy Arcticfunding Safety for one Centre PhD position,as their workplace. one researcher position and delivery into the project is to provide data sets from year- long moored instruments and processproject. cruisesThe team’s around main The meteorology section also leads a work package in Svalbard, and to study the processes contributing to the the newly funded UNIS strategic pilot project Developing ocean heat input into the region north of Svalbard and the a permafrost and meteorological climate change response system to build resilience in Arctic communities after the Covid-19 lockdown and cancellations, focus wasnorthern on processes Barents thatSea. controlOn the first position Nansen and Legacy variability cruise permafrost research and engineering application, as of the polar front in the northern Barents Sea and the (PermaMeteoCommunity). The project combines distribution of Arctic and Atlantic water masses. These knowledge and innovation. The climate response system processes are crucial for the Barents Sea and affects, willwell provideas modelling guidance and fieldfor local observations authorities to in create planning new among others, the sea ice conditions, the freshwater and making decisions related to permafrost changes. The distribution, what water mass is dominant (Arctic or model will have transfer value to other Arctic settlements and can act as a standard for local and regional decision planktons. Most of the warm Atlantic water enters the making on short and long-term scales. The project has Atlantic), and how much nutrients are available for
areaBarents where Sea the from Atlantic the south, and flowingArctic waters further meet north- as the and funding for one PhD position and one technician position. eastwards towards the Arctic Ocean. We define the
UNIS.On 19 InMay her 2020, thesis, Siiri Siiri Wickström studied the defended regional her changes PhD in armedPolar Front. with oceanographicAdvanced research instruments, platforms were like deployedocean thesis. This was the first defence to be held digitally at gliders and an Autonomous Unmanned Vehicle (AUV), Atlantic and their impacts locally over Svalbard. The technology, traditional instrumentation was used to the atmospheric flow pattern in the high latitude North measureto find, and the measure front, the the water Polar mass Front. distribution In addition and to new ocean ongoing climate change is amplified at the high latitudes 30 | ANNUAL REPORT 2020
October 2020: Happy UNIS staff on the first Nansen Legacy cruise after the Covid-19 lockdown. From left: Head engineer Marcos Porcires, PhD candidate Kjersti Kalhagen and associate professor Ragnheid Skogseth. Photo: Eva Falck/UNIS. current. Moorings were deployed in strategic positions
and Isfjorden by the Isfjorden moorings, one at the mouth capturing the front and inflow of warm Atlantic water, of Isfjorden and one further inside. These oceanographic and CTD (conductivity, temperature, and depth) and time series are a part of the fieldwork in the bachelor current profiles were collected in repeated sections and ensurecourse AGF-214continuation “Polar of Oceanthe oceanographic Climate.” Due time to Covid-19, series over time at specific stations across the front and across the student cruise was cancelled in 2020. However, to Newimportant national currents marine flowing infrastructure in the Barents has been Sea. developed three-day research cruise in September 2020 where Svalbard in Isfjorden and on the shelf outside, UNIS provided a Integrated Earth Observing System – Infrastructure throughdevelopment the RCNof the funded Norwegian SIOS projectnode shelfhydrographic outside. Unfortunately,and current profile the mooring data were at thesampled mouth interdisciplinary oceanographic mooring combining along specific transects in Isfjorden and across the physics, biology, and chemistry, have (SIOS-InfraNor). been designed The of Isfjorden, which has delivered valuable data sets of hydrography and current since 2005 (with a few mooring,in collaboration together with with Aanderaa a surface Data buoy, Instruments makes it possible AS timemissing series years), were was provided lost due during to trawling 2020 through activity. the New UNIS toand reveal was deployed some of the in Isfjordencontrolling in forcesOctober and 2020. possible This oceanographic instruments for the Isfjorden mooring weather conditions for warm water intrusion into the infrastructure roadmap 2025 and will ensure continued Inresearch addition activities to the mooring and time time series series, in Isfjorden. standard toIsfjorden evaluate system. the potential Measurements danger for of theweak water sea icecolumn and in meltingIsfjorden sea during ice due winter to warm and springwater intrusion. months are Moreover, necessary outside have been maintained by annual UNIS student the interdisciplinary sensor design makes it possible to hydrographic sections in Isfjorden and on the shelf monitor e.g. the spring bloom development and possible during the bachelor courses AGF-214 and AGF-211 “Air-Ice energy extraction form surface gravity waves. Seacruises Interaction since 1995 I”, but in the no dataautumn were and obtained since 1999 by students in spring
Other research activities are the long-term sections were obtained without students in June and September.in 2020 due Theto Covid-19. collection However, of hydrographic these hydrographic and current measurements of the exchange flow between the shelf ANNUAL REPORT 2020 | 31
entering the Fram Strait instead of the Barents Sea than in previous decades, forcing the West Spitsbergen data obtained by UNIS in Isfjorden are published in the current to follow shallower depths and bringing Atlantic UNIS hydrographic database (Skogseth et al., 2019) and as separate data files for each mooring deployment in the the general and tidal circulation at the mouth of and Norwegian Polar Institute’s dataset catalogue. During water closer to the shelf and fjords. The study also shows the last decades, a study by Skogseth et al. (2020) using contribute to exchange of water masses between the shelf andall these saltier data Atlantic sets, finds water that higher Isfjorden in the has water experienced column inside Isfjorden and how the current and tides seem to botha dramatic in winter climatic and summer, change with which more has inflow reduced of thewarmer sea ice cover and increased the local air temperature in winter. and Isfjorden and between Isfjorden proper and the sill- protected side fjords. When Atlantic water penetrates Isfjorden proper at levels above the sill of the side fjords, atmosphericThis “Atlantification” circulation of thewith West more Spitsbergen low pressure shelf systems and this warm water highly influences the sea ice conditions fjords are partly explained by changes in the regional in these fjords in winter.
GRADUATES 2020
PHD DEGREE:
ELI ANNE ERSDAL SIIRI WICKSTRØM Warmer and Wetter Winters over the high-latitude North interactions. (UNIS and University of Bergen). Atlantic – an atmospheric circulation perspective. (UNIS Ocean motion in the Yermak Plateau – tidal and air-ocean and University of Bergen).
MASTER DEGREE:
MIKKEL JELLE BREEDVELD ERLEND SALTE KALLELID
Events (NTNU and UNIS – 2019). Predicting the Auroral(UIT Oval - The Boundaries Arctic University by Means of Norway of Evolution in Cosmic Noise Absorption During Periodic andPolar UNIS). Operational Environmental Satellite Particle LIDIA LUQUE Precipitation Data. Multi-Instrument Investigation of Spectral Width in the MARKUS FLOER (NTNU and UNIS).
Polar Ionosphere. Ionosonde. A contribution to the development of ADRIËNNE ESMERALDA OUDIJK distributedDesign and Implementationarrays of small instruments. of a Software (UIT Defined - The Arctic University of Norway and UNIS). Quality Assessments. (Eindhoven University of Technology andHyperspectral UNIS). Data Cube Compression Techniques and LUKAS FRANK OCTAVE TESSIOT
Model.Wind and (Universität Temperature Hamburg Profiles and in UNIS) the Arctic. Boundary (Université Toulouse III – Paul Layer and their Representation in the AROME-Arctic SabatierInfluence and of the UNIS). atmosphere on the hydrography of an Arctic fjord (Isfjorden). ARTHUR GARREAU Validation and Application of Novel Wind Estimation Methods with Quadcopter UAVs in the Arctic. (École Nationale de la Météorologie and UNIS). 32 | ANNUAL REPORT 2020 ARCTIC TECHNOLOGY
September 2020: Towing experiment in Tempelfjorden. Photo: Aleksey Marchenko/UNIS. ANNUAL REPORT 2020 | 33
BY ARNE AALBERG, HEAD OF DEPARTMENT The Arctic Technology (AT) department offers courses and performs research within two main fields. Arctic Engineering concentrates on engineering problems related to settlements, structures and operations in the Arctic environment, foundations and structures in the frozen ground, loads from the physical environment, like waves, ice, and snow forces, material behaviours, rock fall, landslides and avalanches, Arctic offshore oil and gas exploitation, and safety issues connected to operations and infrastructure. Arctic Environmental Technology concentrates on current and potential pollution problems, environmental impacts, and feasible remediation techniques in Arctic areas.
In 2020, the department had two professors and one candidate, one manager of the Arctic Safety Centre, one staffassociate engineer, professor, and 13 one adjunct research professors. associate, one PhD
EDUCATION Our research activities support and motivate the by generating data and measurements series on physicaleducation and in themechanical department’s properties courses of iceat all and levels, soil, time dependencies and failure modes of such materials, as well as pollution contaminants and concentrations onshore and offshore. This gives students the opportunity to study both the theoretical and practical aspects of Arctic technology, engineering and environmental technology, and further to benchmark analytical and numerical models and simulations, in order to provide better assessments and predictions for Arctic infrastructure and contribute to a sustainable environment. In 2020, the department offered two courses at bachelor level, the spring semester courses were conducted. Fieldwork and 17 courses on master- and PhD level, where only withwere subsequentperformed onsoil the characterization sea ice in Svea (courseand soil AT-211),strength soil sampling at the NGTS test field near UNIS (AT-205), sampling campaigns in the vicinity of Longyearbyen in thetesting environmental in the UNIS courseslaboratories, AT-331 and and field AT work 330. Theand focus of the teaching in 2020 was to encourage master student to come to UNIS and to support their individual research 34 | ANNUAL REPORT 2020
April 2020: Laser scanning of the sea ice formation in Isfjorden. Photo: Nataly Marchenko/UNIS. projects. About 20 master students from all over Europe took courses and carried out parts of or the entire master and offshore development. In the Barents Sea, icebergs research work at AT, including four students from the Drifting icebergs are dangerous for the navigations newly established Master in Cold Climate Engineering Spitsbergen, Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya. programme with NTNU and the Technical University of are formed due to the calving of outflow glaciers of and cross navigational routes. Knowledge of trajectories, dimensions,Drifting over speed, big distances, and accelerations icebergs may of drifting reach Bjørnøya icebergs DenmarkRESEARCH who all spent one full year at UNIS. are important to estimate risks of collisions and potential damage to ships and offshore structures. Iceberg towing is one of operations used to avoid collisions offshore soilThe mechanics,Arctic Technology offshore Department engineering, conducted and environmental research and has also been considered for fresh water supply for chemistryin a wide field and intoxicology. 2020, within specific topics of ice and
countries with water resource deficit. Ice mechanics and offshore engineering Investigations of drift of a small iceberg was carried Field work was performed on land-fast ice in Svea with the bachelor course AT-211 and with researchers in the Arctic Offshore and Coastal Engineering in Changing out in the Barents Sea (2019) and a towing experiment performed in Tempelfjorden September 2020 by Climate The research in Svea focused the tow line tension force and positions were measured Professor Aleksey Marchenko. In the towing experiment a vibrating (AOCEC) plate onproject. the ice. Full-scale and small-scale iceberg. The experiments were performed with high uniaxialon the vibrations’ compression influence strengths on ice of strength,sea ice, collisional introducing frequencyby IMU and measurements GPS sensors, with of accelerations sensors installed to identify on the wave induced motion of icebergs. The motion of tag boat ice, measurements of ice loads and deformations on the and iceberg caused by changes of the towing direction coalinteraction quay in of Kapp floes Amsterdam and generation were of also turbulence investigated. under was also recorded. It was discovered oscillations in the system of tag boat/tow line/iceberg at different sea ice rheology and thermal deformations to determine frequencies related to the heave and roll of the ice. The elasticDetailed constants experiments in columnar were done and in spray the laboratory sea ice and on measurements of longitudinal elastic waves speed in models of icebergs drift and towing. sea ice of different types. Other experiments were done data will be used for the formulation of 3D dynamic for viscous properties of columnar sea ice in the vertical The spring of 2020 was very interesting with respect and horizontal directions, measurements of thermal deformations of natural sea ice and frozen soils caused by the changes of room temperature and freezing of water rubbleto various formations sea ice phenomena occurred along in Adventfjorden the coast. Laser and scans added inside the ice and soil samples. andIsfjorden. time-lapse Several recordings interesting were ice carried patterns out and to hugecapture ice these remarkable phenomena for future analysis. The Investigations on oceanographic conditions, including lagoon in Longyearbyen was re-scanned to capture the ice, were performed on Spitsbergenbanken, harvesting ongoing changes in the sand relief and ice regime. The data of ice trackers deployed on the drift ice, recording lagoon is a very interesting research site in this respect. data on sea water temperature, conductivity, and density The deposited sand spit and the lagoon has moved 180 and data of high frequency velocity and temperature m towards the east since 2009. The sand spit head has measurement in the boundary layer below the drift ice. In become three times thicker and has moved eastwards the Dynamics of Floating Ice since the scanning in 2019. were measured by trackers deployed(DOFI) project, on small the icebergs dynamics of floating ice was the focus, and iceberg accelerations Marine Researcher Nataly Marchenko continued on the online drifting near the southern tip of Hopen in May 2019. Geographical Information System (GIS) for the ANNUAL REPORT 2020 | 35
Emergencies in the Arctic ( AT and Norconsult continued the ground temperature part of the Inter-organizational coordination of mass monitoring around the new Miljøstasjonen at rescue operations in complexMarEmAr) environments project, ( which ,is Adventpynten. Temperature under the cooling plate concluded in 2020. The aim of MarEmAr is to improve the foundation was studied to support work decisions safety in the Arctic seas, strengthen the preparednessMAREC) during the building process. AT runs a master project for and response, and to provide a networking platform. The modelling the thermal regime in the permafrost under main ideas of the regional approach to risk assessment the cooling plate, accounting for heat transfer from the and the MarEmAr features were published as a chapter in the book “Crisis and Emergency Management in the bottom, with the aim to minimize operation costs and Arctic: Navigating Complex Environments”. energybuilding consumption. and heat fluxes Moreover, from the with ground the Longyearbyenand the sea Community Council we are looking into developing a Infrastructure, Geotechnics and Energy concept utilizing solar-produced electricity for powering The installation of the test setup for piles in marine the active cooling plate foundation for Næringsbygget and permafrost clay at the NGTS site east of UNIS was rehabilitating ground temperature thermistors installed at the time the building was constructed. The two clayey marine soil. The testing will run for two years until mentioned buildings plus the Coop store in town utilize failurefinished or in excessive 2020. Here settlements, we test pile to tip establish resistance data in for the soil active cooling to stabilize the permafrost foundation, creep behaviour in the warming permafrost soil. Several which represents interesting cases for monitoring, master students have been and are involved in this work modelling and analyses. of strength and thermal properties of the Longyearbyen In 2020, the Nordic Research Infrastructure Hub on and contribute significantly to the improved knowledge Cold Climate Engineering Monitoring program for foundation via NordForsk, with Aalto University as the leading undergroundsettlements in soil.Svalbard Together with Sintef we finalized the (COLDHUB) was funded RCNvaluable funded insight project into settlement rates of foundations in collaborative research aims to solve the cold climate the Svalbard settlements, (Monarc). providing The us project with a has dataset given for engineeringinstitution and problems NTNU, weUNIS, face and with DTU the as warming partners. climate. Here comparisons in the future. Coastal erosion and snowdrift issues are the main elements of the research and education in the project. At the hillside close to the shooting range in coastal retreat along the road to Bjørndalen and snow with an instrumented wall where we measure the accumulationPhotogrammetry around technique our solar is utilized park installation to monitor in annual pressureLongyearbyen from snow,we have temperature, since 2016 hadand asnow fixed depth. installation As Adventdalen.
2020, and the load cell readings show a total push force Several student projects have focused on issues related an example, the snow depth was 2,4 metres on 15 April to renewable energy and energy use in Longyearbyen. site give valuable reference data for developing and improvingof 70 kN (7 prediction tons) on the tools wall. for Measurements snow pressure from on fences, this been performed, studying one student barrack in barriers, walls, and masts, etc. Trial inspections on infrastructure’s heat losses have and sewage pipelines, applying thermal scanning and At our test installation in Adventdalen the research drones.Nybyen, A the modelling Huset building, of a future and 2030 the city’s renewable water energysupply continues, investigating solar power production from system for Longyearbyen were done in collaboration regular and bi-facial panels, effects of environmental loads from wind, snow drift and accumulation. This electricity and heat demands, two scenarios were built: activity is run together with NMBU and supported by standardwith the Longyearbyen demands and lowerpower demands, plant. Based where on today’swe used
Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund. the modelling tool EnergyPLAN, and investigated various 36 | ANNUAL REPORT 2020
March 2020: The solar cell test plant in Adventdalen. Photo: Iver Frimannslund. mixes of onshore and offshore wind combined with solar installations. dangerous compounds emitted after fossil fuel burning. polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), the major Environmental chemistry and toxicology The research group has had activities in Longyearbyen, LongyearbyenDispersion of pollutants power plant with emission distance levels from with the sourcethe coal Ny-Ålesund and Barentsburg. In collaboration with the was investigated as well. Drotikova has compared the
Harmonising plants operated worldwide. For the first time, oxygenated EnvironmentalAARI Barentsburg Research chemistry and Monitoring laboratory of and Priority the Gdansk and nitrated PAHs were quantified in the Svalbard air. PollutantsTechnical University,in the Svalbard the RCNAtmosphere funded project grant to collaborate with the University of Occidental established in 2020. An international expert team will Adjunct professor Perrine Géraudie received a European arrange a thematic workshop on Svalbard(HERMOSA) atmosphere was assessment of oil exposure under hydrostatic pressure. pollutant monitoring in 2021 and conduct method testing ThisBritany project (UOB) will in helpBrest, to France, understand to study the cumulativethe biological stress caused by hydrostatic pressure when a deep-sea campaign. oil spill occurred. This project chose to study the brine subsequently during a Barentsburg based fieldwork shrimp Artemia salina. A pilot project on local sources for pharmaceuticals and The Arctic molecular ecotoxicology activities have focused on completing collaborative projects with personal care products (PPCPs) was carried out. UNIS UiT - Arctic University of Norway, Akvaplan-niva, projectand Sintef and have are currentlycollected aprocessed series of effluent for analysis. samples In the and Nord University. We are looking at impacts of oil projectfrom Ny-Ålesund Reducing the and impact Longyearbyen of fluorinated for the compounds PharmArctic on pollution, mine tailings waste, climate change, and the environment and human health all samples collected including polar cod, Atlantic cod, and Arctic zooplankton. Usingocean theacidification excellent molecularon key aspects laboratory of Arctic facilities ecosystems at areaare prepared has been and published. quantified, and a comprehensive study on local pollutant sources of PFASs in the Adventfjorden at gene pathways and individual gene responses in a varietyUNIS, in of particular species and the tissues. qPCR instruments, We are also wedeveloping are looking a focus on genetic and epigenetic effects in order to haveAs earlier focused studies on the indicated evaluation significant of emissions local afterair coal understand how vulnerable Arctic organisms and early burningpollution at in the the power Arctic, plant, PhD studenthypothesized Tatiana to Drotikova be the main potential source of pollution in Longyearbyen. Samples pollution and changing environmental conditions. collected in the plant stack plumes were analysed for life stages (embryos and larvae) are susceptible to ANNUAL REPORT 2020 | 37
March 2020: The scientists received a surprising visit in the tent in Svea during an ice floe towing experiment. Photo: Nataly Marchenko/UNIS.
migrating birds in transporting environmental pollutants investigatedExposure levels and and compared effects withof per- levels and polyfluorinatedin glaucous gulls tochemical the Arctic processes and studying of mercury long-range in Arctic atmospheric soil; the role of insubstances Greenland. (PFAS) The project in Svalbard is a collaboration glaucous gulls between have been transport of inorganic and organic pollutants to the Arctic.
NTNU, UNIS, NPI, NILU and Aarhus University. The results Geotechnical and environmental data inshow 2018 that than concentrations in 2017, and thatof PFAS in 2018 in livers concentrations of glaucous The AT department has during the recent years developed gulls caught in Adventfjorden were somewhat higher several systems for automatic collection of data from our of thesePFAS werecompounds generally on higherthyroid in hormones East-Greenland are being give unique opportunities to gather outstanding data investigated.(Scoresbysund) In anotherthan in Adventfjorden project, in collaboration in 2018. Effects with fromdifferent the Arcticfield test environment, and instrument and to sites. observe The installationsand analyse the continuous changes at the sites. East of UNIS we measure bearing strength and creep properties of pile compoundsNTNU, NP and in glaucousNILU, we gullsare comparing at Bjørnøya levels and andin effects of organohalogenated (chlorinated and fluorinated) tip foundations; in the hillside of Platåberget we measure SeveralKongsfjorden. master students have research projects at UNIS, static and glide-induced snow pressure forces on the 1,5 investigating topics such as potential bias from local onby 3,0plane meter of array snow and wall; solar at Platåberget power production we measure in single solar sources on studies of long range transported pollutants in andradiation; double and sided in Adventdalensolar panels. weOnline measure data issolar available radiation via the UNIS webpage.
Ny-Ålesund area; mercury release from permafrost, and GRADUATES 2020 MASTER’S DEGREE:
JEAN-GABRIEL DORVAL DAVID VIEJO MARIÑO Using local Svalbard rocks as a construction material. (NTNU, UNIS and Technical University of Denmark). rockfall assessment for a section of Vestpynten-Bjørndalen Review of rock(NTNU, stability UNIS models,and Technical slope stabilityUniversity and of THEA JOSEFINE ELLEVOLD Denmark). Optical velocity measurements in the ocean using a remote (Svalbard). (University of Oslo and UNIS). PETER A. SHERWIN An analysis of international, national, and local literature operated vehicle (ROV). XUYANG JIN and the formulation of criteria, for the development of holistic sustainable Arctic coastal infrastructure. (NTNU, (University of Iceland and UNIS). UNIS and Technical University of Denmark). Heat storage in rock and soil in permafrost conditions. ALEKSANDRA VISICH Thermal expansion of ice and ice loads on a quay in the Arctic. (Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and UNIS). 38 | ANNUAL REPORT 2020
ARCTIC SAFETY CENTRE
October 2020: Installation of Driva snow sensors for the coming winter season on the Sukkertoppen mountain. Photo: Charlotte Sandmo/UNIS.
BY MARTIN INDREITEN, OPERATING MANAGER In 2020, the centre has had a full- practical knowledge and expertise related to safety for time operating manager, a part-time theThe local centre’s community, main task with is to businesses offer research-based and other actors and position related to administration and an adjunct staff of four professors. In preparednesswho conduct field - all activityin an Arctic on Svalbard. context with Focus natural areas are addition, technicians at the section hazardssupporting and field climate safety, adaptations societal safety, as important and emergency factors. The for operations and field safety have contributed as instructors on various basis for the centre’s activities is more than 30 years of safety courses. andexperience business from development UNIS’ field in activities Svalbard” related has been to teaching a guidelineand research. for the The activity government’s in the centre “Strategy over for the innovation past year. ANNUAL REPORT 2020 | 39
September 2020: The Arctic Safety Centre in collaboration with UNIS arranged a polar bear safety course for the locals in Longyearbyen. Photo: Eva Therese Jenssen/UNIS.
EDUCATION SERVICES In collaboration with the AT department at UNIS, the The centre coordinates the local snow observation group, centre has four MSc courses in Arctic Safety. The courses which provides weekly snow observations for the local are popular and were fully subscribed for the autumn avalanche warning system in Longyearbyen. The service of 2020, but unfortunately, they were cancelled due to is delivered to the Longyearbyen Community Council Covid-19. and is a key source of information for the avalanche warning system which is used to protect people and In the autumn of 2020, a further education course in infrastructure in Longyearbyen. The centre has provided technical assistance in accident investigations related courseArctic Safety received and great Preparedness interest in (7.5 the ECTS)local community, was arranged related to the avalanche accident on the Fridtjovbreen in for the first time in collaboration with NTNU-Videre. The Februaryto field activity 2020. and has published a learning report oversubscribed. The course had participants from local business,and the 25 administration, study places were emergency a hundred preparedness percent INNOVATION AND DEVELOPMENT actors and internal participation from UNIS. The centre has worked closely with Telenor Svalbard on the development of snow sensors in the last couple A two-day course in polar bear safety for the of years. The sensor technology uses IoT technology Longyearbyen public has also been arranged in autumn 2020. in real time. These provide supplementary information about(Internet the ofsnow Things) cover to that send is snowused indepth local measurements avalanche RESEARCH warning system. In 2020, a three-year project was In the autumn of 2020, NTNU and the Arctic Safety started with Nordkapp municipality in mainland Norway. The project is based on the experiences from Risk governance of climate-related Longyearbyen and the same type of technology and Centresystemic were risk grantedin the Arctic NOK 12 million (plus NOK 5 million sensors will be used in local avalanche warning system in-kind)start in 2021 for the and project will run over three years. This project for exposed infrastructure in Nordkapp. will have three full time employees(Arct-Risk). in The Longyearbyen: project will a time on this project. researcher, a postdoc, and a PhD candidate working full 40 | ANNUAL REPORT 2020
SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS 2020 UNIS affiliated scientific publications in channels authorized in the Norwegian Register for Scientific Journals, Series and Publishers.
Berge, J., & Johnsen, G. Reinardy, H. C. Night. In Polar night marine ecology - life and light in the dead of resuspensionAdams, T. P., Black, in aquaculture K., Black, K.,waste Carpenter, deposition T., Hughes, modelling. A.., night (2020). Life and Light at the Dead of Aquaculture Environment, & Weeks, Interactions, R. J. (2020). Parameterising ht t ps:// Betlem, (Vol. P. ,4, Birchall, pp. 380): T. Springer. 12, 401-415. doi: Senger, K. dx.doi.org/10.3354/AEI00372Alexander, A., Kruusmaa, M., Tuhtan, J., Hodson, A. J., Schuler, Motion as a Tool for the, Characterisation,Ogata, K., Park, J., Orientation,Skurtveit, E., and & T. V. (2020). Digital Drill Core Models:Remote Structure-from- Sensing, The Cryosphere, 21. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs12020330 , & Kääb, A. (2020). Pressure and inertia sensing drifters Digital Archiving of Drill Core Samples. 12(2), 2020for glacial hydrology flow path measurements. Birchall, T., Senger, K., Hornum, M. T., Olaussen, S., & 14(3), 1009-1023. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1009- Braathen, A. Alexander, A., Obu, J., Schuler, T. V., Kääb, A., & Christiansen, shelf: Causes and implications for hydrocarbon exploration. H. H. American Association (2020). ofUnderpressure Petroleum Geologists in the northern Bulletin, Barents subglacial channels driven by surface events in Svalbard. The https://dx.doi.org/10.1306/02272019146 Cryosphere, (2020). Subglacial permafrost dynamics and erosion inside 104(11), tc-14-4217-2020 2267-2295. doi: 14(11), 4217-4231. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.5194/ Bluhm, B., Janout, M. A., Danielson, S. L., Ellingsen, I. H., Gavrilo, M., & Kallenborn, R. I.M., V., Grebmeier, Renaud, P. J. E. M., Hopcroft, R. R., Iken, K. B., Ingvaldsen, Ali, A. M. M., Higgins, C., Alarif, W., Al-Lihaibi, S., Ghandourah, R. B., Jørgensen, L. L., Kosobokova, K. N., Kwok, R., Polyakov, (2020). Per-and polyfluoroalkylEnvironmental , & Carmack, E. FrontiersC. (2020). in The Marine Pan-Arctic Science, 7, sciencesubstances and pollution(PFASs) in research Contaminated international, Coastal Marine Waters Continental Slope: Sharp Gradients of Physical Processes Affect doi:of the Saudi Arabian Red Sea: A baseline study. Pelagic and Benthic Ecosystems. 28(3), 2791-2803. 25. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.544386Marchenko, Allaart,https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09897-5 L. A. V. Håkansson, L., Kjellman, S. E., Mollenhauer, G., & Forwick, M. Bogorodskiy, P. V., Demidov, N. E., Filchuk, K. V., , Müller, J., Schomacker, A., Rydningen, T. A., with, bottomMorozov, sediments E. G., Nikulina, in the BraganzavågenA. L., Pnyushkov, Gulf A. V., (West & Ryzhov, Boreas, ht t ps:// I. (2020). GrowthRussian of landfast Journal ice of Earthand its Sciences thermal (RJES), interaction (2020). Late Quaternary glacier and sea-ice history of northern doi: Wijdefjorden, Svalbard. 49(3), 417-437. doi: Spitsbergen). 20(6), 11. dx.doi.org/10.1111/bor.12435Allaart, L., Schomacker, A., Larsen, N. K., Nørmark, E., Botnen,https://dx.doi.org/10.2205/2020ES000718 S. S., Mundra, S. Eidesen, P. B. Farnsworth, W. R., Retelle, M., Brynjólfsson, ectomycorrhizal diversity?, Kauserud, FEMS Microbiology H., & Ecology, (2020). ÅsgardfonnaRydningen, T. Ice A., Cap, NE Spitsbergen, since the last glaciation. 12.Glacier doi: retreat in the High Arctic: Opportunity or threat for QuaternaryS., Forwick, ScienceM., & Kjellman, Reviews, S. E. (2020). Glacial historyhttps://dx.doi. of the 96(12), org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.106717 Botnen,https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiaa171 S. S., Thoen, E., Eidesen, P. B., Krabberød, A. K., 251(106717), 18. doi: Andreassen, N., Borch, O. J., & Sydnes, A. K. root-associated fungi mirrors host plant phylogeny. FEMS sharing and emergency response coordination. Safety Science, Microbiology& Kauserud, H.Ecology, (2020). 96. Community doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ composition of arctic 130, 9. doi: (2020). Information
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